When Corbin finished separating the water from the mud, he let it boil with a few salt teaspoons and stirred. When it was ready, he removed a glass bottle from his backpack — the surface glinting under the fading sun, and wrapped a metal funnel in cheesecloth before inserting it in the opening. Using his sleeve as a pot holder, he took the boiling water and trickled the it into the funnel. Armis watched, his eyes wide while chewing his nails as the murky liquid filtered through the cloth and came out clearer. Leaving a small amount behind, Corbin boiled a hollow needle, and when the bottled water cooled, he assembled the IV drip with a thin clear hose and duct tape.

Taking Everleigh’s arm, he searched for a promising vein. As his fingers ran across the crook of her elbow, he thought about how he didn’t owe either of them a thing. After all, they were the ones who bonked him on the head and kidnapped him. They were the ones attempting to drag him across the desert and use him to find water like a slave. Yet, deep down, he would always have the desire to help those in need, so he shook the thoughts away, and when he saw a good vein, he pushed the needle through Everleigh’s skin. She flinched a little, but her eyes remained closed, and he caressed her arm as if rubbing the pain away.

“Thank you,” Armis cleared his throat, his voice rough. “Thank you for doing this and not abandoning us.”

“Don’t thank me. I’m not that nice.”

“Right,” Armis laughed. “You just did all of this because you’re a terrible person.”

“It’s getting cold, and the sun’s going down," he changed the subject. "I’ll make us a bigger fire.”

After digging a small hole, he placed charcoal in the center, sprinkled gasoline, and lit a match. A whoosh set the air a blaze with orange flames causing Corbin to flinch, but Armis smiled—the fire's glow emphasizing his hollow cheeks.

“That’s Everleigh’s favorite part. She loves seeing the flames go up.”

Without looking at him, Corbin said, “I know you’re worried about her, but she’ll be fine by morning. With the sun and the heat, she’s just exhausted.”

“I don’t know what I would have done if you—”

“We should eat something,” Corbin cut him off.

“Right.” He nodded. “I’d like to wait for Everleigh to awaken. She needs to eat.”

“Fine. You take the first watch. I’m going to shut my eyes for a bit.”

“Sure.” Armis nodded and patted his gun holster.

“Fantastic,” Corbin grunted as he nestled his backpack under his head and let the sounds of the desert lull him to sleep.

The lure was intense, unraveling his mind into a dream of faces where Everleigh’s eyes fluttered, and her body collapsed to the ground. The dust that consumed her dissolved into new shape as the pug-faced drifter danced for him by the fire—the light softening her scarred face until the flames transformed into another woman. But unlike Everleigh and the drifter, this one put ache in his belly, causing his abdomen to tighten as he slept. His fingers flexed, reaching to trace the delicate curve of her jawline. He left Sarah behind and abandoned her when she needed him—a regret that haunted him even after fourteen years. 

The next thing he knew, he was flailing his arms and bolting upright. He blinked, and rubbed circles, trying to clear the faces from his vision until only one remained.

“You were having a nightmare,” Everleigh said. The shadows under her eyes were profound, but the warm brown color of her irises still glistened in the firelight. Corbin glanced at Armis. He was passed out cold, snoring softly with drool trickling down the side of his mouth.

“Not much of a watchdog, is he?”

“Well, he’s not a dog,” Everleigh replied.

“Right. You need to eat something.” Corbin wiped the sleep from his eyes and fished into his backpack. “I found Spam the other day. It’s not so bad once it’s cooked.”

Everleigh’s face brightened as the corners of her mouth lifted. “We have a can of baked beans. I think it'll go well with our meal.”

Corbin returned the smile, but his lips barely twitched. His heart was still drumming from the dream as he rolled to his knees and stoked the fire.

“Thanks for making this for me.” Everleigh ran her fingers across the IV tube.

“Welcome.”

“Who’s Sarah?”

Corbin paused from pulling the tab on the can of spam, his gaze shifting to the corner of his eye. “What do you mean?”

“You kept saying that name while you were sleeping. It woke me up. Is she your girlfriend?”

“Look, we’re not friends just because I helped you. As for Sarah, that’s none of your damn business.”

Everleigh lowered her chin. “I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s not my place to ask such things.”

Corbin glanced back at the fire and frowned. Sometimes he was too harsh. But people were rarely kind. They always took and took, but never gave.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed her rubbing her arms again, so he reached into his backpack and removed a blanket. When he scooted closer, she looked up in surprise at him wrapping the blanket around her. For a moment their gazes met, and his heart drummed. Staring at one another, the intensity in his chest expanded, so he clench his jaw, his stomach doing a flip. The smile in her eyes only made it worse. Beautiful women always had a way of buffing the giant callus surrounding his heart, and as bitter as he was about being held captive, he couldn’t deny that his kidnapper was stunning with her rich tan skin, honey-brown eyes, and dark cascade of wavy hair.

Taking a deep swallow, he brushed the loose strands of hair off her cheek, and her eyes widened. Was her heart beating as fast as his and was her brother a light sleeper? Because he was ready to roll in the sand with her and didn’t need interruptions. He dropped his attention to her mouth and began leaning in, but froze when he heard the familiar click of a gun.

“Woo!” a strange and deep voice howled into the desolate night. Corbin darted his eyes about, searching for the source, and Armis bolted upright, his gun already in hand. “Well, what do we have here, gentlemen?”

As the voice closed in on them, the fire cast light on four men wearing night-vision goggles. The dusty leather clothes and rifles slung over their shoulders were typical for marauders, and Corbin didn’t need to be a genius to know they were outnumbered.

“You sure are pretty,” said a man with chipped teeth and muck caked into his gums. “I call dibs on her!”

“Now, now, you fellas know I always get the first choice,” said another, and he stepped forward, his long hair a tangle of knots. The fire flickering across his face revealed streaks running down his bronze skin, like a warrior. He crouched in front of Everleigh while the other men pointed their guns at Armis and Corbin. "My, my... You are stunning! Look at this caramel skin. I could lick it up like candy."

As Everleigh glared at him, her breathing hitched with her nostrils flaring. He snickered at the change in tempo, and ran the back of his finger down her cheek.

“Get your damn hand off of her!” Armis shouted.

“Is she yours?” the man laughed.

“You don’t touch her,” Armis said through clenched teeth.

“Oh, you mean, don’t do this?” He ran his finger down Everleigh’s chest, and her breathing quickened, her lips trembling.

Corbin clenched his jaw. These men thrived on fear, and she was feeding their craving by quivering like a dandelion in the wind. However, that dandelion before him grew wings like a phoenix as she roared and removed the needle from her arm before ramming it into the man’s neck.

It all happened so fast as he recoiled and Everleigh climbed on top of him, plunging the needle repeatedly with his blood squirting like a broken pipe. Armis shot the man in front of him, but not before receiving a wound of his own. Corbin dove for the shovel and swept it under the chip-toothed man’s feet. He was about to plow it into his face when he saw another man holding a gun to Everleigh’s head.

“You two fellas stand down, or I blow her brains out!” the man shouted, and Armis tossed his gun onto the sand. Blood oozed from the wound on his side and seeped through his fingers as he pressed his hand against it. Corbin dropped the shovel, surrendering with him.

“Get on your knees,” the chip-toothed man said and steadied his gun on Corbin. “It’s going to be my pleasure killing you.”

“Yeah, well, how about you get it over with!” Corbin growled. “I don’t have all damn night.”

“You got it,” he laughed and pulled the trigger. Corbin clamped his eyes shut, but when nothing happened, he opened them to find the chipped-tooth man stomping his foot. “Damn! I forgot to spin the chamber. I just hate when that happens. Lemme try this again.”

“No!” Everleigh screamed. “He can witch water. You’d be a fool to kill him!”

“Is that right, lil’ miss?” said the other man, pointing the gun at her head.

“Yes,” she replied. “Just look in the hole over there. He dug it after sensing water underground. I was dehydrated, and he made me an IV drip. He’s valuable, and you can take him. Just spare my life and my brother’s.”

The three remaining men began laughing so hard it encouraged the coyotes in the vicinity to join with their cries.

“You are giving us...” the chip-toothed man laughed. “Permission,” he chuckled some more. “To take him?”

“Honey, we take what we want!” said the man with the gun to her head, and he nudged her with the barrel.

“Bag her head,” the chip-toothed man ordered. “We’re taking both of them. The other fella can just die here.”

The chip-toothed man aimed his gun at Armis and shot him in the shoulder—causing him to collapse to the sand in a small cloud of dust. Satisfied, he spat a glop of tobacco at Corbin's face and used the gun handle to knock him out. A cloth bag was placed on his head, but Everleigh kicked and screamed, making it harder for them. They knocked her out cold with a punch, and proceeded dragging her along—while Armis watched from the ground, his hand extended, and unable to reach his sister.

“Everleigh...” he croaked.

But his eyes fluttered closed, succumbing him to unconsciousness.

***
Thanks so much for reading!